God, Our Creator
We Don’t Believe In Much: Part 1
March 31, 2026
Genesis 1:1-2:4, Psalm 104:1-24
Lord, you have done so many things!
You made them all so wisely!
The earth is full of your creations!~ Psalm 104:24
_______________
The Apostles Creed (Traditional) – Part 1
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth…
The Nicene Creed – Part 1
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen…
An Open & Relational Creed – Part 1
by: Michael Rose
We believe in God,
the living Source of all that is,
whose very nature is love,
not indifferent, not self-limiting, not all-controlling,
but present, purposeful, and responsive,
always seeking the flourishing of life.
We believe God’s power is not control,
but faithful self-giving love
working within the law-like regularities
and genuine freedom of creation,
never abandoning the world God loves.
We believe God creates by invitation,
calling a universe into being
unfinished, evolving, and alive,
a world where creative possibility is real,
and where the future is still being formed.
Throughout the first several centuries of the church, people understood Christianity primarily as a way of life, not as a doctrinal system. As followers of Jesus’s teachings, early Christians changed and improved their own lives and worked for the flourishing of their communities. They were called “the People of the Way” (Acts 9:2, 19:9, 19:23) because they walked in the way of Jesus.
While the Apostle’s Creed emerged from earlier baptismal formulas, Emperor Constantine himself convened the Council of Nicaea in 325. Dissent from the Nicene Creed could mean exile. Despite the political intent of conformity and establishing clear boundaries of who could rightly be called a “Christian” citizen of the empire, these creeds at their best show us the trajectory of a living faith and the history of a people wrestling with how to make sense of their own encounters with divine mystery.
Rather than a mere set of doctrines to memorize and affirm for membership in the church, these creeds ask us a deeper question: How do these beliefs shape the way we actually live today, as individual Christians and in community with one another?
What practical difference does belief in God have for our daily life, our relationships, and our world?